Sheet metal nut structure



Aug. 6, 1935;

w. I. JONES SHEET METAL NUT STRUCTURE Filed April 21, 1934 Inveni'or:

M-M; K

Patented Aug. 6, 1935 t UNITED STATES PATENT "omen Walter I. Jones, Arlington, Mass assignor to United-Carr Fastener Corporation, Cambridge, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application April 21, 1934, Serial No. 721,731

9 Claims. (CI. 85-36) My invention aims to provide improvements in extended beyond the base portion l and toward sheet metal nut structures particularly, though the yieldable lingers to provide a tubularportion. not exclusively, adapted to engage the shank 01a 6 the purpose of which will be more fully herescrew member. inaiter described. a Referring to thedrawing which illustrates pre- In order to secure a device witha continuous 5 Ierred embodiments of my invention:- wall 5 surrounding the aperture 2 and at the same Figure l is an elevational view of an installatime form the yieldable portions 3---3 from mation showing my improved device in use; Within the p p ry of the base I h v Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of .blanked out the yieldable portions 3-4 from ma- Figure 1; terial which lies between and spaced inwardly 10 Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the nut member; from both the aperture 2 an pp s ends 0! Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the nut member; the b e Portion t W be noted at One Fig. 5 is a plan view of a partially formed nut yieldable portion 315 formed at one side of the member; aperture and the other yieldable portion 3 is Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a nut member with f rm d at he Other sid 01 h ap r ure From 15 a normally curved base and angled thread-enthe initial blanking, as shown .in Fig. 5, the degaging portions; vice is placed between suitable die members (not Fig. 7 is an enlarged section taken on the line shown) which bend the yieldable portions 3-3 1-1 of Fig. 6; out of the plane of the base portion i and then 8 is a bottom plan view of one of my imform the corrugations 1-4 at the sides of the 20 proved nut membersassembled with a cap; and yi l l Portions This letter action Fig. 9 is a section taken on the line 9-9 of causes a ioreshortening of the base in the di- Fig. 8. I motion of the yieldable portionsthereby causing My invention as illustrated by the annexed the yieldable portions to move toward each other drawing relates particularly to what might be til he ree ends ve ie e p e i 25 termed a sheet metal speed and lock nut, since it and inter ect the apert r 2, as clearly illustrated may be engaged with the threaded shank of a in Figs. 3 and 4. screw or the like by a straight thrust and may I have also provided one or more supportbe locked to the shank of the screw against accienga ing p cti ns 8 w i h are for ed. intedental loosening by-a slight amount of rotation gral with the base portion I (Fig. 2) and extend 30 of the screw after the initial attachment by axial th refrom n h Opposite ion m he approaching movement. While I am aware of Y ir c n 1 the tubule! Portion These D the fact that this type of device is not broadly 'i cti ns 8 are m r or less r u or Sharp s new, my improved structures embody features. that they may bite into one f h P r to be which are novel and provide an important ad- Secur d ge r y my mp device thereby 35 vance in the art, at least so far as I am aw re, preventing accidental rotation of the nut mem- Referring now to the specific embodiment or her. I 1 my invention illustrated by Figs. 1 through 5 in- In Figs. 1 and 2 I have illustrated my improved I elusive, I have shown a so-called nut structure device in association with an ordinary p 0f 40 formed from a single pieceof relatively thin sheet r w 9 h v n a h d d 5118111! I and s eur- 40 metal and provided with a base i, an aperture! me together two members ii and 12. The inlccated centrally oi the base and a pair of yieldstallation preferably may be secured together by able shank-engaging portions 3-3. The yieldable inse h h nk f t r w h 118h shank-engaging portions 3-3 are formed from preformed apertures in the members II and I2 material of the base and shaped in such a manner and thenapproec i e the nut device wa d 5 that they extend away from the base from oppothe shank iii of the screw 3 to enter it into the site idestheroi and toward the center of the .e aperture 2. Upon n i u d p t move- -body portion I, as clearly illustrated in Figs. 33"1nent the shank is guided by the tubular portion and 4. The free end portions 4-4 of'the yield- 5 into contact with the ends 4 4 of the yieldable portions 3-3 are preferably curved partially able portions 3-3. The nut is then thrust, by 50 to encircle the shank of a screw or the'like and a straight relative approaching movement, into therefore intersect the aperture 2 (Fig, 3) sothat contact with the member it while the screw head they may make such engagement. My improved is held against the member ii. During'this acdevice has acontinuous wall 5 surrounding the tion the yieldable portions H act somewhat in aperture: (Fig. 3) and this wall 5 is preferably the nature of-pawls of a ratchet as they pass 55 over the threaded shank I0. I have found that the best results may be obtained by then turning the screw 9 relative to the nut thereby to draw the yieldable portions 3-3 toward the body portion I. In this manner the end portions 4-4 wedge themselves tightly into the thread on the shank l0 and one or both end portions 4-4 contact with the end of the tubular portion 6, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. Thus the tubular porti n 6 acts as a stop to prevent the yieldable portions 3-3 from passing by a point which would give the most eflicient locking action between the screw 8 and the nut device. As a matter of fact, the ends 4'l are jammed tightly into the thread on the shank 9 and it takes considerable torque to loosen the nut once it has been assembled as just described. It will'also be noted that during the final tightening operation the support-engaging projections 8 engage the member I! so that little or no effort is required to hold the nut from rotation during this operation.

The device illustrated in Figs. 6 and '7 is substantially the same as that already described except that in some instances it is desirable to have the body portion fiex during the final tightening operation. Therefore, in this instance the base I is shown as being normally arched longitudinally in the direction of the yieldable portions 3-4. I have found that by providing an arched body portion 1 the space between the ends lfii of the yieldable portions 3-3 may be such that it requires very little pressure to push their ends over the screw thread during the assembling operation. However, during the final tightening operation the body portion is flattened against the member l2 thereby moving the ends ll of the yieldable portions 3-3 toward each other to provide a greater gripping of the thread due to a wedging action. It will be noted that this same action to a lesser degree is obtained in the embodiment of Figs. 1-5 when the projections 8 contact a body I! into which they do not easily or fullysink, and that in the form of- Figs. 8 and 9, hereinafter described, the crimped under edge portion Il may also serve as a fulcrum spacing the nut body somewhat from the adjacent surface and thus allow flexing of the central portion of the same under tightening stress. In this device (Fig. 7) I have also shown the ends 4 -4 of the yieldable portions 3-3 as being normally angled relative to the axis of the aperture 2 thereby to coincide with the angle of the thread and provide a maximum amount of engagment between the ends 4-4 and the thread on the shank of the screw.

In Figs. 8 and 9 I have shown one of my improved nut devices associated with a sheet metal cap I! which has its peripheral edge portion H crimped over the edge of the body portion I. In this case the body portion has a circular periphery for engagement with the circular cap I 3 and the cap is provided for the purpose of concealing the nut member and the ends of the shank of the fastening member to provide a, finished appearance when my improved devices are used in assembling parts where the nut device would be more or less exposed to view.

My improved devices are relatively easy to manufacture, they are exceedingly durable, they have much greater holding power than any device for similar use of which I am aware, they are easily guided into position and they are made from a minimum amount of material. Furthermore, they can be disassembled by an unscrewing action so that I secure all the advantages of a separate nut and nut lock plus simplicity, speed and efficiency.

While I have illustrated and described preferred embodiments of my invention, I do not wish to be limited thereby, the scope of my invention being best defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A device of the class described having a base portion provided with an aperture to permit passage of the shank of a fastener member, yieldable shank-engaging portions formed integral with said base portion and from material struck from between the edges of the aperture and the edges of said base portion, and said yieldable portions having their ends spaced above and intersecting said aperture at one side of said base portion for engagement with the shank of the fastener member.

2. A device of the class described having a base portion provided with an aperture to permit passage of the shank of a fastener member, yieldable shank-engaging portions formed integral with said base portion and from material between the aperture and the edges of said base portion, said yieldable portions having their ends spaced above and intersecting said aperture at one side of said base portion for engagement with the shank of the fastener member, and ribs formed in said base portion transversely of the direction in which said yieldable portions extend foreshortening said base portion in said direction for the purposes described.

3. A device of the class described having a base portion provided with an aperturesurrounded by a continuous wall to permit passage of the shank of a fastener member, yieldable shank-engaging portions formed from material taken out of the base from outside the continuous wall and between the continuous wall and the edge of the base at opposite sides of the aperture, the free ends of said yieldable portions being spaced above the plane of the base and intersecting the said aperture.

4. A device of the class described having a base portion provided with an aperture surrounded by a continuous wall to permit passage of the shank of a fastener member, said continuous wall being in the form of a tubular projection extending outwardly from said base portion, and yieldable shank-engaging portions extending from said base portion and having free ends extending over the outer end of said tubular projection and intersecting said aperture.

5. A device of the class described having a base portion provided with an aperture surrounded by a continuous wall to permit passage of the shank of a fastener member, yieldable shank-engaging portions formed from material taken out of the base between the continuous wall and the edge of the base at opposite sides of the aperture, the free ends of said yieldable portions being spaced above the plane of the base and said base portion being foreshortened in the direction in which said yieldable portions extend, thus positioning the free ends of said yieldable portions in intersecting relation to said aperture.

6. A device of the class described having a base portion provided with an aperture to permit passage of the shank of a fastener member, yieldable shank-engaging portions formed integral with said base portion and from material struck from between the aperture and the edges of said base portion; said base portion being foreshortened in the residual areas from which said shank-engaging portions are struck, and said yieldable pertions having their ends spaced above and intersecting by virtue of said foreshortening, said aperture at one side or said base portion for engagement with the shank of the fastener mcmber, and said base portion being arched longitudinally in the direction of said yieldable portions for the purpose described.

7. A device of the class described having a base portion provided with an aperture to permit passage of the shank of a fastener member, yieldable shank-engaging portions formed integral with said base portion and from material between the aperture and the edges of said base portion, and said yieldahie portions having their-ends spaced above and intersecting said aperture at one side of said base portion. for engagement with the shank of the fastener member, and a cap assembled with said base portion and criniped. under sage of the of a: fastener member, yieldable shank-engaging portions formed integral with said base portion and from material between the aperture and the edges of said base portion, and said yieldable portions having their ends spaced above and intersecting said aperture at one side of said base portion for engagement with the shank of the fastener member, and support-engaging projections formed integral with and extending from the other side of said base portion.

9. A device of the class described having a base portion normally arched and provided with an aperture surrounded by a continuous wall to permit passage of the shank of a fastener member, yieldable shank-engaging portions formed from material taken out oi the base portion from outside of the continuous wall and between the continuous wall and the edge of the base at opposite sides of the aperture, the free ends of said yieldabie portions being spaced above the plane of the base, said base having folds foreshortening it in the direction in which the yieldable portion extends, and positioning the free ends of said yieldabie portion to intersect said aperture.

' VTAL'I'ER I; JONES. 

